The National Electrical Code (NEC) has a system for classifying areas deemed hazardous due to flammable or combustible materials. When an area is considered classified, extreme caution needs to be taken to ensure nothing within that area provides a possible ignition source. In the US, Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) provides third-party certification for products that can safely be used in these areas. EXAIR’s newest addition to the longstanding line of Cabinet Coolers was our Hazardous Location Cabinet Cooler. Designed and built with these types of applications in mind, the Hazardous Location Cabinet Cooler has been independently certified by UL for use in Hazardous Locations in Class I Div 1, Groups A, B, C, and D; for use in Class II Div 1, Groups E, F, and G; and also in Class III areas.
Class III areas can often be overlooked as the materials that generally create a Class III area may not always be considered “explosive” by nature. In Class III areas, the risk of combustion occurs due to the presence of ignitable fibers or materials that produce or process combustible flyings. According to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), combustible flyings are defined as solid particles, including fibers, where one dimension is greater than 500µ in size, which can form an explosive mixture with air at standard atmospheric pressure and temperature. These areas are most commonly found within the textile and woodworking industries. The video below, posted to YouTube by News Center Maine, shows just how violent an explosion due to wood fibers can be:
When using a Hazardous Location Cabinet Cooler in a Class III area, it’s important to keep the Cabinet Cooler and immediately surrounding area free of settling debris. Implement a regular inspection, and cleaning procedure if necessary, to ensure that the flyings/textiles don’t accumulate on the Cabinet Cooler.
If you have control panels installed in a hazardous location and are sick of the nonstop maintenance associated with an A/C type system, the Hazardous Location Cabinet Cooler is the right tool for you. Contact an Application Engineer today for help determining the most suitable model for your enclosures.
Tyler Daniel
Application Engineer
E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_TD